Meet Physicians and Scientists

Duke neurobiologist Diego Bohorquez, PhD, and neurologist Richard O'Brien, MD, PhD, discuss the vital connection between the human gut and the brain, and how this is offering insights into the development of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. They also discuss research into learning why a young brain can repair itself but an older brain cannot.

John Sampson, MD, PhD, MBA, MHSc, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, discusses how the Duke Cancer Institute is studying DNA and genetics with the goal of creating each individual's unique cancer "fingerprint" to offer targeted therapies.

Tolbert Wilkinson, MD’62, HS’64, a plastic surgeon, has thousands of people from all walks of life looking to erase their past and begin anew.

Priya Kishnani, MD, MBBS, discusses the power of innovation and discovery and how Duke researchers are leading the way to develop ground-breaking treatments for rare diseases like Pompe disease.

The School of Nursing's Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda,PhD, MPH, RN, CPH, FAAN, explains that Latinos who immigrate to the U.S. are healthier than average Americans. Her research is seeking answers as to why, and how that information can be used to improve public health.

When K.V. Rajagopalan, PhD, arrived in the United States from India to begin his postdoctoral work in the Department of Biochemistry at Duke, he familiarized himself with the department’s members by reading their journal articles. Among them were a series of papers reporting startling research on oxygen radicals by a young biochemist named Irwin Fridovich, PhD’55.

Fumiko Chino, MD, a resident in radiation oncology, last summer co-authored research showing that the high cost of cancer care is a serious problem for many patients.

Lawrence David, PhD, studies this hidden world, the community of hundreds of different species of bacteria that make up each person's gut microbiome. We are seldom aware of their presence, but they interact with us in countless ways and play a profound role in determining our health. In a way, they help make us who we are.

Why do perfectly good cancer treatments suddenly stop working? Researcher and lymphoma survivor Kris Wood is finding answers.

Researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute are teaming up with several other institutions to develop a fluorescent dye that is injected into cancerous tumors and lights up when viewed under a special camera. This allows surgeons to see if residual cancer remains after the tumor has been removed.